Alle þe pointes þat toucheþ sinne
Of lecherie þat toucheþ sinne.
Nou haue ȝe herd a partye,
What perile comeþ of lecherie.
Nou shole ȝe here of coueitise,
Þat is an oþer wise!
Þei man coueite londes and ledes,
Castels, boures and heye stedes,
Gold, siluer and tresour,
To liuen inne wiþ honour
And forto marie wiþ his childur,
As dide before him his eldur,
And of his catel wiþ hem ȝiue
To helpe þe world forto liue
And helpe pore þat haþ neode,
Boþe to cloþe and to feode,
Þei he coueite neuere so myche
In þis maner sikerliche
Þat he may wiþ treuthe winne —
Suche coueitise is no sinne.
Bot man þat winneþ londes and ledes
Wiþ trecherie and false dedes
And leiþ tresour in tresorye
And let sely pore men die
And let it ligge stille þare,
Þat noman þe better fare
Ne noman mot þer offe winne —
Suche coueitise so is sinne.
Or marchaund wiþ hise marchandise [folio 158]
To loken in alle kynne wise,
Hou myche he may wiþ1 treuthe winne,
Þat no trecherie is inne,
And in wille if he beo
Þat oþer man als wel as he
And of suche, as he may gete,
Ȝeueþ pore men cloth and mete —
In þis maner þei he winne,
It is told for no sinne.
Bot who so coueite day and nyght,
Boþe wiþ wrong and wiþ right,
